Alpine Energy owns and operates the electricity distribution network in South Canterbury, New Zealand.

Reliance on a single electricity transmission line into the Tekapo township and surrounding areas may be thing of the past if a system being tested by Alpine Energy, Transpower and Genesis is successful.

On Tuesday 14 November 2017, Tekapo residents and businesses will be without power for about 30 minutes from 9.30am as Transpower disconnects the township’s main power line to carry out maintenance. Power will be reinstated via Transpower’s mobile substation for the duration of the maintenance work.

Residents and customers will experience another disruption between 9.30am and 11.30am on Tuesday 28 November when the main line is returned to service. Alpine Energy is going to use this outage window to trial a black start operation which could see the area’s power supply being restored from Genesis’ Tekapo A station.

Alpine Energy operations manager Rick Liew says the maintenance provides a controlled environment for all parties involved to test the system which has the potential to provide the community with power during times when Transpower’s main line is unable to do so.

Snow has caused lengthy power interruptions in the past by affecting the single transmission line into Tekapo. Having this alternative supply available would mean power to the township and surrounding areas can be restored while the line is repaired.